This week on Common Faith, hosts Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel begin with a candid and personal conversation about the nature of Jewish inquiry. Why is Judaism rooted in questioning, yet sermons remain one-directional? What does it mean for a rabbi to share not just ideas, but vulnerability? And where do spiritual leaders turn when they themselves are searching for answers?

In the second segment, they are joined by renowned AI pioneer and public intellectual Dr. Judea Pearl. Drawing from his new book Coexistence and Other Fighting Words, Pearl offers a bold framework for understanding modern antisemitism, the rise of anti-Zionism, and the challenges of coexistence in today’s world.

From the philosophy of “Jewish normalcy” to the dangers of misinformation in the age of artificial intelligence, this conversation pushes beyond easy answers. Pearl challenges listeners to think more rigorously, speak more assertively, and confront difficult truths with clarity and conviction.

Dr. Judea Pearl:

https://bayes.cs.ucla.edu/jp_home.html

The book: Coexistence and Other Fighting Words:

https://www.amazon.com/Coexistence-Other-Fighting-Words-2002-2025/dp/1895131731

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean for a nation to move from mourning to celebration—while still struggling within itself?

In this powerful episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel begin with one of the most emotionally charged passages in the Jewish calendar: the transition from Yom HaZikaron to Yom HaAtzmaut. In Israel, these days unfold back-to-back—shifting from collective grief and remembrance to the celebration of statehood and independence. They are contiguous not only on the calendar, but in the heart of Israeli identity.

And yet, as this episode makes clear, unity cannot be taken for granted.

Recorded during a moment of war—when sirens interrupt daily life and Israelis are forced into shelters—this conversation turns inward, asking a more difficult question: What happens when the deepest divisions are not external, but internal?

Featuring Dr. Alick Isaacs, Rabba Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, and Keren Sokoloff of Siach Shalom, the episode introduces a bold and deeply human approach to conflict. Rather than trying to resolve disagreements, their work focuses on healing relationships—bringing together Israelis from across ideological, religious, and cultural divides, including some of the most painful fault lines in society today.

Through remarkable stories—like conversations between ultra-Orthodox women and military families during wartime—listeners witness what becomes possible when people choose not to persuade, but to listen. Not to win, but to understand.

At a time when polarization defines so much of public life—not just in Israel, but around the world—this episode offers a profound insight: that true peace is not the absence of disagreement, but the ability to hold difference without losing one another.

In the space between memory and independence, between sirens and silence, the question remains: Can a divided people still become whole?

Siach Shalom:

https://talkingpeace.org.il/

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to remember the Holocaust—especially as we approach a world without survivors to tell the story?

In this powerful episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the meaning of Yom HaShoah and the evolving nature of Holocaust remembrance. From the origins of the day itself to the role of ritual, storytelling, and memory, the conversation asks urgent questions: How do we preserve history? Who gets to tell the story? And what happens when memory becomes something we inherit rather than witness?

The discussion then turns to The Last Twins, a deeply moving documentary that uncovers a remarkable and previously untold story from Auschwitz. Featuring filmmakers Perri Peltz and Matthew O’Neill, along with Judith Richter, daughter of Holocaust survivor Erno "Zvi" Spiegel, the episode brings listeners into a story not just of survival—but of moral courage.

At the heart of the film is a profound question: What does it mean to choose humanity in a system designed to strip it away? As the last generation of survivors fades, this episode challenges us to carry forward not only the memory of the Holocaust, but the values it demands of us today.

The Last Twins:
https://thelasttwinsfilm.com
https://www.pbs.org

The Last Twins will become available to stream on Monday, April 13 on pbs.org and the PBS App, with a broadcast premiere on Monday, June 15 at 10/9c.

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to be Jewish in a world filled with suffering—especially when that suffering extends far beyond our own community?

In this Passover episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore one of Judaism’s most enduring tensions: the balance between particularism and universalism. As the Passover story reminds us, we are commanded to remember our own liberation—but also to empathize with the stranger, the vulnerable, and the oppressed.

This conversation comes to life through a powerful interview with David Weisberg, Executive Director of World Jewish Relief USA, and Maurice Helfgott, Chair of Trustees of World Jewish Relief. Together, they share how an organization rooted in Jewish history and values now serves both Jews and non-Jews across the globe—from war-torn Ukraine to refugee communities worldwide.

Their work raises urgent questions: Where should our attention—and our resources—go? How do we prioritize in a world of endless need? And can we truly care for others without first caring for our own?

At a time when the Jewish world itself is in pain, this episode challenges listeners to consider whether compassion is a limited resource—or a defining feature of Jewish identity. With moving personal stories, moral clarity, and a deep sense of purpose, this conversation invites us to rethink what it means to live out our values in real time.

World Jewish Relief, USA:

https://usa.worldjewishrelief.org/

David Weisberg and Maurice Helfgott:

https://www.worldjewishrelief.org/who-we-are/our-people/

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In October 2018, the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh became the site of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history. But the story of Pittsburgh’s Jewish community is not defined by tragedy alone.

In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliott Cosgrove and Jon Frankel explore the past, present, and future of Jewish life in Pittsburgh. First, they’re joined by historian Dr. Barbara Burstin, a leading authority on Pittsburgh Jewry, who reflects on the city’s unique Jewish community—its deep sense of unity, its history, and the profound shock that reverberated through the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill on that devastating day.

Then the conversation turns to the future with Carole Zawatsky, CEO of the Tree of Life organization, who is leading the effort to transform the site of the attack into a national memorial, museum, and education center. She shares how the new Tree of Life will honor the eleven victims, confront the history of antisemitism in America, and create a space for learning, remembrance, and Jewish life.

Together, the conversations ask urgent questions:
How should communities remember tragedy? How do we teach the next generation about hatred and resilience? And how can places marked by loss become sources of education, healing, and hope?

Dr. Barbara Burstin:

https://history.pitt.edu/people/barbara-s-burstin

Carole Zawatsky:

https://www.thetreeoflife.org/chief-executive-officer

Tree of Life:

https://www.thetreeoflife.org/

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel welcome Naomi Firestone-Teeter, CEO of the Jewish Book Council, to reflect on the power of Jewish literature and the work of nurturing Jewish voices in an ever-changing world.

Naomi brings a deep commitment to Jewish storytelling. Since joining the Jewish Book Council in 2006 — eventually becoming its executive director and now CEO — she has helped build out the organization’s digital presence, launched national initiatives like Unpacking the Book: Jewish Writers in Conversation and the Visiting Scribe series, and nurtured a network connecting authors to Jewish organizations across North America.

In this episode, the conversation moves between practical and philosophical: Why does Jewish culture place such importance on books? How can literature open doors into Jewish identity for readers of every background? What are the opportunities and challenges of sustaining Jewish storytelling in the 21st century? And what does it mean to read Jewishly — both within and beyond traditional religious frameworks?

Along the way, we explore how the Jewish Book Council supports authors, festivals, book clubs, and readers; how literary culture builds bridges across Jewish communities; and why the act of reading together remains one of the most fundamental ways Jews connect to our past and imagine our future.

Naomi Firestone-Teeter:

https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/naomi-firestone-teeter

Jewish Book Council:
https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/

https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/75th-national-jewish-book-award-winners

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to give—and why does Jewish tradition place such deep emphasis on tzedakah?

In this episode of Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy-Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel explore the Jewish ethics of giving and the real-world challenges of philanthropy today. From childhood memories of the classic blue-and-white tzedakah box to questions about how we teach generosity to the next generation, the conversation examines how giving shapes both personal character and communal responsibility.

They’re joined by Andres Spokoiny, President and CEO of the Jewish Funders Network, who works with philanthropists around the world to expand and strengthen Jewish giving. Spokoiny shares insights from his global perspective on philanthropy—from the importance of strategic giving and collaboration to the challenges of fighting antisemitism, supporting Jewish education, and preparing the next generation of Jewish leaders.

Along the way, the conversation tackles big questions:
How should philanthropists decide where to give?
What makes charitable giving truly effective?
And in an age of crisis and rapid change, how can philanthropy help build a stronger future for Jewish life?

From ancient teachings to modern strategy, this episode explores how tzedakah isn’t just about charity—it’s about responsibility, leadership, and shaping the world we want to live in.

Jewish Funders Network
https://www.jfunders.org/

Andres Spokoiny:
https://www.andres-spokoiny.com/

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it mean to choose an identity — especially when that identity places you in danger?

This week on Common Faith, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove and Emmy Award-winning journalist Jon Frankel sit down with sociologist, author, and humanitarian leader Dr. Georgette Bennett to discuss her moving new book, Half-Jew–Full Life: The Unlikely Journey of a Voluntary Jew from Nazi Persecution to the American Dream.

The book traces the life of Gary “Pips” Phillips — born to a Jewish father and Aryan mother in Berlin — who could have avoided deportation under Nazi racial laws. Instead, he insisted on embracing a Jewish identity. “Hitler made me a Jew,” he would later say. Pips went underground in Berlin, was arrested four times, escaped three times, and survived through a combination of ingenuity, unlikely mercy, and relentless will to live.

But this conversation goes deeper than biography.

Georgette Bennett shares her personal connection to Pips — who became a surrogate father to her after her own family escaped postwar Hungary — and reflects on the moral ambiguities she faced in telling his story. The episode explores survivor consciousness without romanticizing survival, the difference between survivor’s guilt and survival as resistance, and how trauma echoes across generations.

Rabbi Cosgrove and Jon Frankel also examine how Jewish identity today must be rooted in more than Holocaust memory — in dignity, responsibility, and the biblical commandment to care for the stranger. In a time of renewed antisemitism and polarized politics, Bennett argues that Jews are not defined only by victimhood, but by civilizational contributions and moral imagination.

A story of darkness, resilience, and full-hearted living.

Dr. Georgette Bennett:

https://bennettny.com/

Half-Jew – Full Life:
https://www.amazon.com/Half-Jew-Full-Life-Unlikely-Voluntary-Persecution-ebook/dp/B0FCG82D4Z

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove:

https://www.instagram.com/elliot_cosgrove

https://x.com/RabbiCosgrove

Park Avenue Synagogue:
https://www.pasyn.org

https://www.instagram.com/parkavenuesyn/#

Jon Frankel:

https://www.instagram.com/skifrankel

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.